Falcons tame Lions

INGOMAR – Ingomar couldn’t miss early and the Falcons never let H.W. Byers back in the game Thursday in a 67-51 win in the semifinals of the Division 2-1A tournament.
“They’ve got two of the best guards at getting into the lane and I thought we did a good job in the first half making them pay with either a block or a charge,” Ingomar coach Jonathan Ashley said. “We also hit the offensive glass really hard.”
Ingomar (22-11) plays defending 1A champ Coldwater in the championship at 8:30 p.m. today.
Henry Foster had 20 for the Falcons. Sam Cobb scored 16 and Devonte Williamson scored 14.
Byers trailed by 15 at the break but kept within range in the third, cutting Ingomar’s lead to eight on Laterrance Riddle’s slam.
Williamson answered with a 3-point play. Down again to a single-digit lead, Cobb scored three the old-fashioned way and Terrance Gillard’s make gave the Falcons a 50-39 lead.
“Things started not going our way and again we made some tough buckets, second-chance, to stop a run or keep control of the game,” Ashley said.
Williamson had a strong first half, scoring 11 points. His 3-point play in the first quarter gave Ingomar a 15-6 lead and he followed that with an offensive board and basket for an 11-point cushion. Cobb’s 3-pointer following a charge had the Falcons ahead 20-6.
Ingomar beat the Lions by 20 here in late January. Chris Echols scored 16 points to lead Byers (16-11). AJ Mabon added 14.
“Every time we turned around, either we committed a foul or they made a tough basket,” Byers coach Trey Lawrence said.
“Take your hats off to them.”
brandon.speck@journalinc.com